The decay (and the foot step through the floor in the featured photo) seen here is characteristic of damage from prolonged exposure to excessive moisture. The severity of the decay indicates that the problem has been progressing over a period… Read More
Category Archives: Wood
Case Study: A Sagging Roof
The roof of this barn exhibits a sag (featured photo). The roof is framed with rafters (Figure 1). The rafter ties are set very high to allow clearance for interior activities; however, this prevents the ties from adequately restraining the… Read More
The Case of the Sinking Wood Deck
It was cold and rainy afternoon. And, while gazing at the rain sheeting down the window, I was ruminating on my plans for the coming weekend. My quite ruminations were interrupted by the loud, sudden ringing of my desk phone. It was a call… Read More
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 13)
The feature photograph was taken in an attic during a warmer month of the year. It documents the condition on the underside of the roof deck. This photograph provides valuable information regarding the scope and history of airborne moisture in the attic. From… Read More
An Oversight Makes a Rafter More Susceptible to Fracture
In the featured photograph we see where the rafter fractured at its end. This fracture was due to vertical tension in the rafter. That is, the weight of the roof framing and the snow were pushing downward along the length… Read More
What is causing the cracking in my ceiling?
We have looked at numerous single-family ranch style dwellings constructed in the 1960s where the ceiling exhibits cracking between the dining room and the living room. It’s a crack that emanates from the corner of two walls. Those of you… Read More
What Can Happen to Unbraced Wood Truss Web Members?
So, what happens when the web members of a wood truss are not braced laterally as specified by the truss manufacturer? When a wood truss is designed and constructed by a truss manufacturer, the manufacturer commonly provides drawings that show… Read More
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 9)
What can we tell from THIS photo? The wood plates and staples indicate that these are very old field built wood trusses. The soot and char indicate that they have been exposed to a fire. The relatively clean separation between… Read More